"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Daily Blue America Report-- #3

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California-04- In a rational world it would not be especially remarkable that the Sacramento Beeendorsed Charlie Brown over Tom McClintock today. Of course in a rational world, we would never have accepted George Bush as president and elected a Congress dedicated to the impoverishment of working families on behalf of special interests. The editors of the very Republican Bee say it was a "clear choice" and urges their readers to "opt for pragmatism, not rigid ideology." Bingo! Charlie is a moderate and pragmatic well-respected, admired member of the community. McClintock is some kind of a far right extremist from hundreds of miles away looking-- as he always is-- for a plush job.

Democratic candidate Charlie Brown is a career U.S. Air Force officer, now retired. During the Vietnam War, he flew helicopter missions in southeast Asia. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his helicopter rescue in the Mayaguez incident of May 1975 and coordinated Air Force surveillance flights over Iraq in the 1990s.

Brown, a 17-year resident of Roseville who ran against Doolittle in 2006, has worked hard the last three years to build a relationship with voters in the district. In the end, he would be the more effective voice on issues that matter to the district and the region.

... McClintock has an "old economy" vision for the district, relying on increased timber production (which would require gutting environmental laws and hard-won compromises) and water. He sees an Auburn Dam as the "single most important project for the region."

Brown has met with wind and solar business owners and favors alternative energy tax credits and high-speed Internet access. He would fight for expansion of Interstate 80 and Highway 50, stream-bed restoration in Sierra Meadows, improvements to existing dams and Lake Tahoe restoration. He supports forest thinning to decrease fire hazards.

The most recent polling shows Charlie ahead 48-42 and with $2 million in air time reserved by the DCCC. The Republican Party has given up on McClintock as hopeless and too extreme. He's out of money. His is the race most observers see as the surest Democratic victory in California. The infamous NRCC "death list" from last week writes off CA-04 and is pessimistic about Brian Bilbray's chances for re-election. But several other California incumbents are in jeopardy: Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), Dan Lungren (CA-03) and David Dreier (CA-26).

California-26- Blue America just launched a special fundraising page with one object: defeating David Dreier, one of the last of the ultra reactionary extremists left in the Los Angeles congressional delegation (along with Dana Rohrabacher).

Dreier has certainly been a dependable Bush rubber stamp across the entire panoply of issues that have made Bush’s presidency the worst in modern American history. But it isn't even just his blind support for Bush that has made Dreier so odious. In these troubled economic times Dreier has been a shameless handmaiden for Big Business and special corporate interests over and above the interests of his own constituents. His record on health care is the worst of any California congressman and his record on veterans is just as disgraceful. Fortunately, there is a way to battle a deceitful and corrupt hack like Dreier on the issues—and that is what the Democrats are doing. We applaud them. But there’s is more to Dreier than just reactionary politics.

Dreier is a closeted gay man and a frightened hypocrite who votes against equality for gay families while prancing around the world to every gay hotspot there is-- at taxpayer expense-- with his overpaid lover. It’s time for him to shuffle back to Kansas City, where he still lives when he’s not in Washington, so CA-26 can have some real representation that makes sense for southern California.

Please help Blue America mail this information piece about Congressman Dreier out to some of the residents of the district, like himself, who are in favor of the homophobic Proposition 8. If they plan to vote against equality for gay people, maybe they need to find out about their own representative's extracurricular activities. You can donate here.

Virginia-10- Clear across the country in Northern Virginia-- the part Republicans claim isn't "real" Virginia-- a Democratic video tracker was politely asking Congressman Frank Wolf a question-- which Wolf rudely ignored-- when he was assaulted by Republican staffers and beaten with a cane. (Hey, Sarah-- is that what you meant by "Real Virginia?") Although Wolf did nothing to stop the attack, at least he didn't personally join in. RaisingKaine has the video and the whole sordid story.

Normally we reserve this space for Blue America candidates-- and let me remind you that you can contribute to Charlie Brown, Russ Warner and Judy Feder right here-- a Sam Bennett supporter in Montgomery County, PA sent DWT a beautiful and inspiring Obama video we want to share with you as we go into the most important week of the campaign: